I have been giving talks about disabilities for as long as I can remember. But as a parent, nothing has been more difficult than looking in my son’s eyes and having to explain why mommy can’t walk like everyone else. A parent is the first teacher in a child’s life. I had to talk to my son about cerebral palsy. Talking about disabilities can be difficult as a parent.
When I was a single parent to my daughter, I also had to explain cerebral palsy. She is much more technical than the average toddler so she understood pretty quickly. She understood cerebral palsy more than many adults.
Up until the age four, Jason has just accepted my cerebral palsy as natural as could be without a question or doubt. Instead of asking me or his other parent why can’t I walk, he would just try to command it – “Mommy, walk!”
I tried my normal dialogue that had worked with so many children even though I was the parent, Jason wasn’t accepting my explanation because it was too technical so it was time to be creative. I thought about the things that Jason could relate to. As a parent, I knew what he’d like the most. Right away, I thought about cars because he has loved them since he was four months old. I explained that Mommy’s brain is like an engine in a car except my engine operates differently than the rest. Mommy’s engine tells the legs to move differently so mommy needs to walk on wheels.
Like a light bulb, Jason’s face lit up with love and understanding. He got understood and seemed to relax. Now he is open to talk about it more and ask questions. I also crawl on the floor with my knees. Jason said, “Mommy’s engine also says to walk on her knees!”
